For the Chanel Spring 2019 RTW collection,  Karl Lagerfeld invited us to live out the summer months from morning to night, in complete freedom and sophistication. The colors were luminous: sunshine yellow, golden sand, tan beige, pink, blue, iced mint and mother-of-pearl white with navy blue and black. A parasol print on chiffon, multi-coloured plumetis sprinkled over tweed, and embroideries of sand and seashells: the atmosphere was joyful.

The look was defined by an elegance with a variety of fabrics running from tweed to chiffon via crêpe, lace, cotton serge, denim, leather and poplin. The suit took on new volumes: jackets have wide shoulders and flared sleeves, responding to skirts slit up the side and opening over mini-skirts, or unzipped, oversize trousers. Jumpsuits with XL legs contrasted sharply with outfits of short jackets and little tweed dresses.

For both day and evening, vest dresses stepped out in white tweed swathed in stripes or embroidered with sequinned parasols, and in a sandy-hued tweed dotted with sequins. Others were knotted like towels around the chest and held up with seashell necklace straps. Beach hut stripes appear over layered dresses in crêpe georgette inlaid with ladder lace.

Appropriating the cabin dresses, now beach hut dresses,  they came in a multi-colour plumetis pink tweed and lace ruffles. For evening they reappeared adorned with an origami of chiffon ribbons. The designer exploded a kaleidoscope of sequinned parasols over a strapless dress and a scintillation of sequinned palm trees over a cage dress in black chiffon.

The collection featured double visor caps and wide-brimmed hats in fringed straw were sported, along with layers of sautoirs, pendants and beaded necklaces, while the XXL cuff bracelets multiplied. A sense of relaxation was accentuated by the mules with a small plexiglass heel or on a cork sole. Bags called ‘side packs’, were carried in duo, crossing over each hip introducing a new way of being worn. Large beach bags came in denim and straw. Finally, the minaudières took shape as seashells or little beach balls.

Go backstage as Chanel unveils the most coveted accessories and looks seen at the Spring 2019 runway show.